Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-03-19
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Mr.. Beecher Its First and Only
Pastor.

Mr.. Beecher Its First and Only
Pastor.
Plymouth church has known no other
pastor than Henry Ward Beecher. Its house
of worship is the same in appearance as when
it was enlarged in 1850, year after it was
built. 1t is huge brick building of great
architectural simplicity. Is 1O5 feet in
length, so feet in width, and 43 feet in height
from floor to ceiling. 1t has a seating ca
pacity of $500. In marked contrast with the
! otherwise plain interior is the immense organ,
which cost S27, 600 In the rear Of the church
is building that will accommodate over LOCO
Sunday school children.
| In 1916 lot of land on Cranberry street,
| Brooklyn, which had been occupied since
| 1923 by the First Presbyterian church, was
| purchased by John T. Howard with the idea
of establishing Congregational church. On
May s, 1917, David Hale, Of New York, Ira
Payne, John T. Howard, Charles Rowland,
David Griffin and Henry c. Bowen met at
the house Of the latter, resolved themselves
into an association of trustees of the new
church, and decided to begin holding services
at once Mr.. Beecher spoke at the anniver-
sarv of the American Home Mission society
during the next week, and made SO good
an impression that he was invited
to preach at the opening service Of Plymouth
church. His sermon was so well received
that he was invited to become pastor
of the new organization, and he accepted. 1t
is quite likely that he was influenced much In
his decision by a feeling that had arisen IN
indianapolis that he was somewhat too radical
in the expression of his views upon slavery
Some of Mr. Beecher's most prominent
parishioners there were bitterly opposed to
the subject being even publicly named by a
Christian minister. But he emphasized his
position by early introducing into the synod
a resolution declaring that every minister
should preach a thorough exposition and con-
demnation of slavery. Thereupon he preached
three sermons upon the life of Moses, the
bondage of the children of Israel under
Pharoah and their deliverance. His hearers
were electrified by a searching and merclless
| expose of American slavery and scathlng
denunciation of the whole institution. There
was talk and excitement, of course, but MI
Beecher persisted in openly attacking the sys-
TEN, and through his persistence his church
became one of the strongholds OF the anu
slavery cause.
Before his installation as pastor of Ply
outh church he had to submit to an examlna-
ton. Among the questions put to him was
the following: "Do you believe in the perse-
verance of the saintsF' asked by DIR. Humph-
rev. 81 was brought up to believe that doc
trine. y replied Mr.. Beecher, 'and did believe
If till went out west and saw how eastern
Christians lived when they went out there.
confess since then 1 have had my doubts. T."
But Mr.. Beecher passed through the ordeal
and October 10, 1S47, he entered upon the d'-
ties continued through the remainder OF as
life as pastor of Plymouth church. one Oh
his firsS acts was to distinctly state from the
Plymouth pulpit his principles and beliefs edi:
He announced that he would preach CnrlS 81
living and full of love, by whose standards an
men Should rule their daily acts, advocate tue
ten,nerance cause ana fight on the SIDE Oh
anti-slavery." There was no need lor nl III
TO wait in order to prove his words py ms
deeds. for the storm burst almost inlln ns.
diateIv. Mr.. Beecher's fighting oioou was vas
mo. and he threw himself into the thick OIL ohe
conflict. In his church, in lectures tnIousn,
out the country, in speeches, in ms WHITES ny
and in his dailv intercourse with meii' WI